Plants of
South Australia
Swainsona reticulata
Fabaceae
Kneed Swainson-pea
Display all 7 images
Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
Enlarge Map
Copy Map
Copy Map
Display IBRA region text

Prior names

Swainsona oroboides ssp. reticulata

Etymology

Swainsona named after Isaac Swainson (1746-1812), an English scientist and horticulturalist who had a private botanic garden near London. Reticulata from the Latin 'reticulum' meaning a small net, referring to the veins on the standard petals.

Distribution and status

Restricted to the Murray River floodplains in the Riverland region of South Australia. It is also found along the Murray River in Victoria and on the alluvial flats in grasslands and woodlands of north-eastern New South Wales. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Rare in Victoria. Common in New South Wales.
Herbarium region: Murray
NRM region: South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

A prostrate, pubescent perennial herb with stems radiating from a central tap root. Leaves to 7 cm long with 5-17 leaflets, obovate, elliptic or narrowly linear-lanceolate, to 15 mm long and 3 mm wide, both surfaces with appressed hairs, or upper surface glabrous. Inflorescence an erect scapes to 10 cm tall with 4-6 terminal purple pea-flowers. Flowering between August and October. Fruits are dark brown, stiff oblong pods to 22 mm long, covered in hairs. Seeds are orange to brown, semi-flat reniform seeds to 1.5 mm long with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between September and November. Collect mature pods, dark brown containing hard seeds. Mature pods can be found lying on the ground next to the plant containing hard seeds. When dried the pods can become hard and difficult to open. Use a rubber bung to rub the pods or break the pods open with your fingers to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. This species has physical dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate (e.g. nicking or softening the seed coat).

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA7,600 (17.1 g)30+13-Oct-2011DJD2187
Murray
1-Nov-201290%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.